title: Impact of information sources on the knowledge of adolescents about hepatitis B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of various sources of information on school going adolescents (belonging to higher social strata between ages 14-19 years) regarding Hepatitis B; its various types, importance, symptoms and cures.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered survey was conducted among the secondary school students (9-12 grades) of a private school for this purpose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 160 students were approached from which 158 (98%) agreed to take part in the survey. Overall 98% students claimed to know something about Hepatitis B. But only 52% of all had comprehensive and correct knowledge about symptoms, causes and measures for prevention of Hepatitis B. Their major sources of knowledge were parents (57%) and television (56%) followed by newspapers and books (31%), doctors (30%) teachers and peers (29%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only half of the adolescents had correct knowledge about Hepatitis B, which infers that an average person's level of knowledge would have many misperceptions and myths. Television and parents are the most influential sources of imparting health education to adolescents. Thus it is imperative that these sources of knowledge strengthened to provide correct information to adolescents.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Year Medical Student, The Aga Khan University, Karachi.
authors.forename: Ali Minhal
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Thaver
authors.forename: Ameera
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D010290:Parents; D017149:Private Sector; D012574:Schools; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult